RSPB Coleraine gives tips to identify small flying animals

With the breeding season well underway, many small birds are back for the love season. From Bluetits to Wren to Willow Warbler, they can be tricky to identify or observe hidden in the tree foliage.

James McDowell is retired and leads the local RSPB group in Coleraine. He has noticed that since COVID-19, people have become interested in the small creatures on their doorsteps.

On April 28, Mark completed a walk with the Garvagh Hare’s Corner Cooperative Group. They all had to meet at 6am, the best time to observe wildlife. Indeed, wildlife is more active during the first light of the day, at dawn.

The small group learned how to hear and distinguish the different calls and songs of more than 20 birds who have travelled as far as Africa. 

James said that they even heard and observed a Great Spotted Woodpecker which is the only one Northern Ireland has. 

He said that this bird arrived quite recently in Northern Ireland and he himself only heard it for the first time in 2019.  

He suggests that joining a group would be helpful for people wanting to learn more about birding.

James explains that to start learning about birds some websites are useful such as the RSPB website, the the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), or even YouTube.

“Just go out, go look in the woods, and listen as well. If you can get into a group and maybe get yourself a pair of binoculars, a book as well,” he said.

One of the apps James recommends is ‘Merlin’. This app enables users to identify birds by their characteristics and also lets you record their songs or calls for identification when they're not visible.

“Start by looking at the size and obviously the colour,” said James. 

“Some birds have distinguishing features. For example, the white bar on a Chaffinch really stands out on the male.

“For example, Goldfinches are really colourful with black, yellow, and white.

“I think most people will know about House Sparrows, Starlings, and Blackbirds."

James said that identifying migratory birds such as the Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff can be tricky as “they look exactly alike,” he laughed.

One key to differentiating these two birds is the sounds they make, explained James, who has learned to identify bird songs over the years.

“If you know the songs, the Willow Warbler and the Chiffchaff sound completely different.

“If you hear a Willow Warbler, the note sort of goes up and then comes down, sort of lower, and the Chiffchaff is completely different.”

Other birds might be less tricky to identify such as Swallows, House Martins, Sand Martins, and the Swift as they have physical distinctive features.

Later this month, the RSPB Coleraine group has a trip planned at Rathlin Island Seabird Centre. This island welcomes a diverse range of seabirds and is a great place to discover the world of birds.

More information is available on their website group.rspb.org.uk/coleraine/